A free concert? Let's Go!



As we wandered in from an afternoon of illegal apartment pool swimming, Joe was checking his email.

"awe...Ween is playing for free in Princeton tonight!"

I could hear almost an heir of disappoint in his voice.

"Ween? for Free?! Let's go!"

I ran upstairs and quickly got changed and dragged a brush through my chlorinated hair. Before dashing out the door, I grabbed my camera. I couldn't very well head off to a free show without practicing my newly found photog skills! The last time I did this, I ended up with a picture on http://www.amfibian.com!

We quickly drove up to Princeton. I knew where the park was. I'd driven past it many times before. Did we actually think we'd be able to park in the lot? What a joke! No worries! It was only 7:45...we had a grand total of 15 minutes to find parking and get into the park to find the amphitheater...

As soon as we got in, we spotted our friend Gary up on the amphitheater steps. Thank goodness we had some time to catch up before the boys went on.



The stage was a makeshift deal. The backstage, nonexistant. It was just a cool place to be. As soon as they started, the area in front of the stage began to fill. I got itchy.

"Hold my bag, I'm gonna snap some shots before it gets too crowded down there!"

I headed down, plunging ahead through the crowd. "Scuse me...scuse me!" When you are short, noone seems to complain. They let you go..further through the crowd..and before I knew it, I was standing directly in front of the stage! The lighting was weird, just a few basic old school lights. But I was there! In front of the stage!

I ended up bumping into an old PB friend of mine, Heather, who was also right up front. Before I knew it, the show was over, and I never headed back to the bleachers. Joe came down to meet up with me..

Once you get there..you don't want to leave. It's just a fun place to be!

Quietly Alone

When I was a kid, I always hated being alone in my house. It wasn't that I believed it was haunted. Perhaps, I always felt like someone or..something..was waiting in the shadows for me.

Joe's been away for the past week...leaving me alone in the house..

I bet you wouldn't imagine that I'm still that scared little girl afraid of being alone in the house, but really, it's all still there. Each night, as I creep up the stairs, and I get just past the point where my feet are in reach of the first floor, I make a quick little jump up the rest of the stairs. I know..seems silly..but I have this image of a hand coming out of nowhere and grabbing me by the ankle! Perhaps this is the reason that i always leave Joe to turn the last light off downstairs when he is around!

When I *do* make it upstairs, it's a series of light switching. For instance, if I am coming up the back stairwell, I can turn that light on. When I get to the top, I walk across the library and turn on the other stairwell before walking back to the first to turn it off. I then go into the bedroom to turn on my bedside light before turning off the hall light. Does it really make a difference? I'm sure it doesn't. Oddly, when I get into the bed, I feel totally safe with all the lights off!

Joe will be home tomorrow. Tonight is my last lonely night. I'll leave the light flicking to him from now on ;)

Freedom!!

Living alone for a few days is always one thing..Joe goes away every year to the NWP convention from usually a Thursday through a Sunday, leaving me home alone..Two years ago, he whisked off to Silverthorne, CO for the Key Issues workshop, leaving home for a week. Fortunately, at the same time, I headed on a road trip myself with my best friend Lori to Atlanta, Georgia. Last year, I headed off to Silverthorne for the very same workshop. So it's been quite a while, if ever, that I've ended up alone for an entire week! Joe headed out to Chico, CA for a National Writing Project Technology Matters conference for the week leaving me to my own devices!

It's going to be nice actually..some quiet time without the guitar, a tv that doesn't run nonstop video games, and the idea that I'm going to just relax for the whole week! I took a walk today to start it out after my workshop. I also cooked myself dinner. I promised Joe I'd eat all the bananas, apples, and grapes that were around before he got back. It's really just an attempt to eat well for the week. Unfortunately, the grapes, that I JUST bought on Sunday, were covered in MOLD today :( I think I'll have to buy more grapes just to show him I didn't just junk the old grapes in the composter..In lieu of the grapes, I ate one of the organic bananas.

Denali is already off on the wrong foot. He decided he wasn't going to let me know he was locked in the back room when I got home last night. If Joe were around, of COURSE, Denali would have let his voice be heard. Unfortunately, he spent the night alone!

Here's to a retreatful week!

Relaxing the Summer Away

Every other year, the summer seems to just fly on by. Perhaps I'll feel the same at the end of the summer, but for right now I think it's just going slow and relaxed! Joe leaves for Chico, California tomorrow. He's attending a NWP technology workshop out there. A whole week he'll be gone before we gear up for Round 2 of the great FF project! I hope Round 2 is it! The 2ww is bound to drive any girl crazy!

Perhaps I'll see the Poiret exhibit tomorrow in NYC. Maybe I'll hit up Amfibian in Hillsborough on Saturday. Anything goes this week!

Miss me much?

It's been a while..you'd think, with summer upon us, I'd have a whole lot to post..and it's not to say that I don't...I probably have a lot more going on in my head than usual..but alas, I can't really post about it all..My brain is mush, going crazy perhaps waiting...but alas, afterall, you really never know who's out there reading...sad that I feel like I have to keep anything to myself, you know?



Anyway, Disney was fun..You'd think after spending a week there, I'd find myself all bleh about being back in good old Bordentown. Oddly, I'm OK with it. I feel like I got my fill of Mickey. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the magic that is Disney. Staying IN Disney was a whole new experience though, and I'd do it again! Imagine being able to decide on a whim that you'd like to hop on the boat to the Magic Kingdom, or head over to Epcot only an hour before closing and end up eatting tropical pizza at the Polynesian! When I walked into the Wilderness Lodge, I was overwhelmed. It was absolutely stunning and breathtaking. I really did start to cry. I remember watching the Disney channel as a kid and seeing all that Disney was becoming. I never really got to experience it. I went when Epcot was new. Then there was a brief stop at the Magic Kingdom after Big Cypress, but never to MGM or Animal Kingdom!! Disney is an empire these days! In the end, Joe and I still found ourselves at the Magic Kingdom most of all. There is just something undeniably special about Mickey's place that tops all the rest. Walking in to the Electric Light Parade on the first night and closing out our trip nicely by walking out of the Magic Kingdom on the same note 6 days later really is special..

Before I left for Disney, I found myself on a great adventure. Lori and I headed back to see some old haunts. Many of them were just as we remembered them. It was nice to spend that much needed time with her doing what we always did best as teenagers..



It's amazing isn't it? Pacem in Terris is the place..a host to creativity..a tribute to peace..and always a pleasurable afternoon!